Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP. Over 36 years experience in AAC. OMazing Kids AAC and app consulting. Creator of several AAC Feature Matching resources (https://omazingkidsllc.com/omazing-kids-aac-resource-links/). Includes info about unique features to support Gestalt Language Processors
I encourage EVERYONE to watch the Forget Me Not: Inclusion in the Classroom documentary and then watch or listen to episodes 179 & 181 of the If We Knew Then podcast.
Everyone deserves the right to an equal opportunity for education.
The type of segregation and discrimination seen in the documentary and discussed in the podcast must end.
Parents should not have to endure this type of trauma from educational systems.
There needs to be proper supports in place for inclusion.
If you are a parent in the state of Oklahoma in the USA and need help from a parent advocate regarding your child’s IFSP or IEP, reach out to the Oklahoma Parents Center:https://oklahomaparentscenter.org
(Disclaimer: I am not a parent advocate and cannot advise anyone regarding their individual child’s IFSP or IEP. I am providing information in this blog post to help folks seek out help from entities equipped to do that)
Looking for in-depth AAC feature matching resources? See this blog post: https://bit.ly/5aacFeatureMatchingResources. That post also includes videos comparing AAC apps on various devices on various platforms.
It’s been exciting to see several new apps release recently from Alessandro La Rocca. He is an independent special needs & AAC app developer who has a good history of creating and supporting/maintaining apps in the App Store since 2012. Some of his apps are also available for Android and Amazon Fire.
• Navigation to get to a word: Depends on board size (Core 24: most 2-3 hits, some fringe 4 hits)
• Grammar support: Basic verb tenses: past, present, future (no -ing, no plural or possessive word endings)
• Keyboard: Keyboard button can always be available on the Side Bar on left side of the screen. Can be toggled off in the app settings. Uses the iOS iPad keyboard which allows use of keyboard extension apps. The typical iOS keyboard word prediction doesn’t work within the app but you can have word prediction if you are using an alternative iOS keyboard extension app that has word prediction built into it (ex: Keedogo Plus, SuperKeys, SwiftKey)
• Hide/Show buttons: Advanced Editing – “select all” (then tap individual buttons to deselect any you don’t want hidden) – Edit – Visible (toggle off to hide, toggle on to unhide)
• Has a Search feature
• Pre-made Core 12 & Core 24 page sets for: English (some editing needed for USA English), German, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish. There aren’t any pre-made page sets for larger grid sizes or in the other languages that have an iOS voice but you could build them. ** Update: A Search feature was added in the update on 1/25/22 so finding where vocabulary is stored will be easy.
• iOS text to speech voices for the following languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovakian, Spanish, and Swedish. Defaults to language being used on that iPad but can choose a specific language under Settings – User
• Can use recorded voice
• Button action to play a video. Works great to play videos saved to the iPad’s Camera Roll. Can also play linked YouTube videos (opens in a popup within the app but there is an unsecured link that will take you out to YouTube. Guided Access did NOT block this so it is very important to understand the risks of linking to YouTube videos especially for young children. The separate Niki Playapp is another option for playing videos is a secure way (see info below).
• Backup & Sharing: Cloud-based (not a way to back it up other than Share to upload it, get a Share Code and then use that code before it expires to download the page set)
Niki Talk, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/niki-talk/id556798417 (iOS Universal, iOS 10.0 or later. Most recent update: 10/6/20 (version 2.0.1). Price: Free but needs to be used with the Niki Designer website in order to do editing. Free trial. See pricing on the website: http://www.nikitalk.com/Designer.aspx). This is a much older AAC app that looks like a communication binder with Velcro strips. It’s for very basic communication. Can send a text message including the symbols. Also available on Android & Amazon Fire. More info: http://www.nikitalk.com/Talk.aspx
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Niki Scene Pro, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/niki-scene-pro/id1597894942 (iPad only, iPadOS 12.0 or later. Most recent update: 12/19/21 (version 1.0.3). Price: $6.99. This new app hasn’t been added to their website yet. See their Facebook page and this video:
Additional info about the features in this very affordable and intuitive/easy to use Visual Scene Display AAC app:
• Import picture from Camera Roll or use iPad camera to take a pic
• Full visual scene with hotspots. Draw hotspots in any shape. 5 color options. Dotted or solid line.
• Long press on an image on the Home Screen and tap Share and then it generates a sharing code that is active for 3 days. These Share Codes can be used as a way to share your creations with others who have the app. There isn’t a formal way to backup what you create in the app but you could share items, copy the Share Code, and then download those creations onto a new iPad as long as you do it before those codes expire.
• Can toggle off Editing in the Settings and secure Settings with a Passcode
Niki Buttons, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/niki-buttons/id1572170910, iOS Universal, iOS 10.0 or later. Most recent update: 6/22/21 (version 1.1.0). Price: $3.99. A set of four single message buttons that look like a Big Mack VOCA (voice output communication aid) (blue, green, red, yellow). Tap at bottom of screen to select one. Can add a symbol to the button. Uses recorded speech. This new app hasn’t been added to their website yet. See their Facebook page and this video:
Search on ARASAAC, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/search-on-arasaac/id1599712099, iOS Universal, iOS 12.0 or later. Most recent update: 12/11/21 (version 1.0.0). Free. Allows you to search for free open source symbols of the ARASAAC website and save them to the Camera Roll on your device. Also available for Android. See this Facebook post:
If you go to the ARASAAC website you can edit symbols to change the skin tone and hair color. And then export the pic as a .png (has transparent background) and save it on the Camera Roll to import into any app. https://arasaac.org/pictograms/search.
Other special needs apps:
Speech to Symbol Pro, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/speech-to-symbol-pro/id1571118745 (iOS Universal, iOS 12.0 or later. Most recent update: 10/24/21 (version 1.0.3). Price: $6.99. Note: This is NOT an AAC app. It’s a quick way to create visual supports as you speak. I like being able to customize it to add symbols or pictures. That way everything you speak can have a symbol. You can find more free ARASAAC symbols using the free Search on ARASAAC app. Or by going out to their website. If you go to the website you can even edit symbols to change the skin tone and hair color. And then export the pic as a .png (has transparent background) and save it on the Camera Roll to import into this app. https://arasaac.org/pictograms/search. There’s also the option to tap each symbol or the entire sequence to have them spoken. This turns them into a visual support with voice output.
Niki Play, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/niki-play/id803959942, iOS Universal, iOS 10.0 or later. Most recent update: 6/12/21. Price: $3.99. Niki Play allows kids to enjoy their favorite videos and music independently. Parents can download to import videos directly from YouTube or from the Camera Roll, play songs from the Apple Music library, save voice recordings and pictures. I love that the app is secured with a parental gate, that the app isn’t linking to YouTube (it’s downloading those videos directly for use within the app), has options for 1, 2, 4, 6 or 9 items per screen and offers a way to rearrange the items. More info: http://www.nikitalk.com/Play.aspx
Niki Diary, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/niki-diary/id852210800, iPad only, iPad iOS 12.0 or later. Most recent update: 10/30/21. Price $6.99. A multimedia calendar diary to tell people around them what they did or what they plan to do a certain day using images, videos, text and speech. Can also be used as a memory support. More info: http://www.nikitalk.com/Diary.aspx.
Niki Words, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/niki-words/id743777884, iPad only, iOS 8.0 or later. Most recent update: 9/29/17 (it’s been over 4 years since the last update). Price: $5.99. Fun and Learning with Letters. Includes Play with words (drag the letters to make up the word matching the picture), Crosswords & Magic blackboard. More info: http://www.nikitalk.com/Words.aspx
Prices outside of the USA will vary based on the exchange rate
Prices are subject to change
I used each of these apps on my iPad 8th gen running iOS 14.5 to test out features as I was working on this blog post. I have purposefully not updated to iOS 15 yet due to ongoing reports of problems with it in several AAC and SLP therapy apps . So I have no way to know if there are any issues with any of these apps on iOS 15.0, 15.1 or 15.2.
iPads were the best purchase ever as a SLP. If you truly want iPads to be “special needs friendly”, please do this:
Maintain consistent sizes on devices. Companies that make cases need consistent sizes over time for them to invest in making cases for them. It has been a challenge to find cases for the iPad Mini 4 & iPad Pro 9.7″
Please make an iPad Pro Mini. Having the Mini size + the 4 speakers + the enhanced processor speed would make it ideal for most kids who would use it for AAC.
Please add the visual aspect back to the built in timer in your next update for iOS 10. Very useful for kids with Autism.
Thanks for considering these suggestions!
Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
OMazing Kids (https://omazingkidsllc.com/)
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This feedback was submitted directly to Apple via their online feedback form on 11/6/16. I’ll keep you posted if I get a response. I have seen rumors of a an iPad Pro 7.9″ (aka. iPad Mini 5 but with 4 speakers and other features of the iPad Pro) possibly coming in March 2017. If that happens, I hope Gripcase & Lifeproof will both get on board in supporting the special needs community and offer cases for it.
I am SUPER excited to have these amazing products to use in OMazing Kids speech-language therapy and kids yoga classes! EQtainment generously sent me the Q Toys Bundle to try out and review. They have been a HUGE hit with my patients. The bundle includes the Q’s Race to the Top Boardgame, Q’s Race on the Go Pack, Q’s Wild Ride Read-Along Storybook & CD, Q’s Coloring & Activity Book, and the Q-Time Buddy weighted plush doll. [price: $59.99 (an $8.00 savings over purchasing all of the items separately): http://shop.eqtainment.com/products/q-toys-bundle].
Here’s what I LOVE about these amazing products:
The Q’s Race to the Top Boardgame has an oversized dice and game pieces (both nice for younger kids or for those with fine motor challenges) and a sturdy colorful game board that is easy to understand and short enough to get to the end within a typical speech-language therapy session.
The cards in the game have a wide degree of difficulty and social skills targeted. The game was designed and tested with kids ages 3-12 years old. Younger kids or those with special needs may need the therapist or parent to preselect cards before the start of the game to best suit their kids needs. The adult could also simplify the wording as they read the cards. The “Do” cards contain a mix of physical actions ranging from simple to pretty challenging. Some also incorporate emotions and facial expressions. Again I would suggest preselecting the ones that will best suit your kids physical abilities and developmental level. The adult may need to simplify these activities or modify them for kids with special needs. For kids that need a visual support to help them understand what the motion would look like, I will incorporate video modeling and pictures. The selfie camera mode on my iPad will also come in handy.
The Q’s Wild Ride book included with the game is fun to read to introduce kids to the loveable yet quirky character Q before playing the game. (Q is “a dusky leaf monkey”…. thanks for including the specifics! The first question my patient with ASD asked was “what kind of monkey is that?”). The Read-Along Storybook & CD is exactly the same story but in a larger book format and includes a CD with two tracks (with and without page turn signals). The narration and sound effects are very well done in the CD and the illustrations in the book depict emotions well through exaggerated facial expressions and body language. I took a couple of pics of interior pages since none seemed to be available online and this will help folks make purchasing decisions.
The Q’s Race to the Top – On the Go Pack are the same cards as contained in the board game but are sized a little smaller and are in a durable metal tin.
The Q-Time Buddy weighted plush doll is super soft, is wearing a cute green hoodie and is the perfect weight and size to be used in belly breathing. I had several patients who immediately relaxed, closed their eyes and began belly breathing when laying on their back with the Q-Time Buddy on their belly. The instructions are printed on the back of the box. My only suggestion for improvement would be to include a separate card with the belly breathing instructions since most folks usually don’t keep the box when they get a stuffed animal. I am including some pics below that I found on the Kohl’s website so I will be able to share the instructions with parents later.
The Q’s Coloring & Activity Book is filled with great tie-ins to the book & game. It also includes several pages that are unique to just the coloring book and also includes fun activity pages (dot-to-dot, finish the picture, maze, find the same, drawing emotions on faces, etc…). I scanned a couple of interior pages since none seemed to be available online and this will help folks make purchasing decisions.
All of the products are very well designed and of high quality materials. Is is very obvious that a lot of thought went into the design of these products. I love that they offer them as individual items so parents and therapists can pick and choose the ones to best fit their needs or get the entire set as bundle.
These are definitely destined to become “faves” in OMazing Kids speech-language therapy and my kids yoga classes!
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See this video for more info about this relaxation technique.
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Interior page samples from the storybook:
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Interior page samples from the coloring book:
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See this video for info about the game:
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Where can I purchase these amazing products? (plus a discount code!)
All of the products are available for purchase on their website at: http://shop.eqtainment.com/& they are offering a 20% off discount for OMazing Kids fans(the discount is only available only when purchasing directly through their website. Enter “QFRIEND20” when you checkout on their website. This discount code is set to expire one month from this post. Please contact the company directly with any questions you may have about the discount code: http://eqtainment.com/contact-us/ or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/eqtainment/)
A few additional purchasing options:
I’m including links from Amazon.com for those who like to take advantage of free shipping through their Amazon Prime membership and for Kohl’s for those who may have some Kohl’s cash they’d like to spend…..
Sharing this again since many SLPs, teachers & parents may have received a new iPad for Christmas. If you will be using the iPad with kids, then Guided Access is your new BFE (Best. Feature. Ever!). It can be used to disable the home button and lock the child into an app. Especially critical if you will be using the iPad as an AAC device or using it in therapy with kids with poor impulse control. Here is the PDF guide that I share with families. It shows how to set it up step by step: http://schools.nyc.gov/documents/d75/technology/assistive/Quick/iPad%20Update%20-%20GUIDED%20ACCESS%20(PDF).pdf
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Updated for 2020: That handout from 2015 is no longer available. See this info from Apple for the most current info and step by step directions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202612
Wow! I’m very impressed with this! Get amazing resources for kids & parents in this new FREE app: Sesame Street and Autism https://appsto.re/us/MCg48.i
Also available online at: http://autism.sesamestreet.org. I didn’t see an Android version of the app yet but my guess is that it will be released soon.
I love that they have presented a well-balanced view of Autism…. both the positives & the challenges. Also love seeing several real life examples of AAC use. Excited to see AAC use out in the mainstream media 🙂
The story behind why this new Sesame Street Autism initiative is so awesome… they took the time to include Autism self-advocates in the process of developing it!
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, ASAN, is proud to be a partner in Sesame Workshop’s “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children” initiative. Over the past year, ASAN has worked closely with Sesame Workshop to ensure that the initiative and its materials are positive, respectful, and promote real understanding and acceptance of autistic people. The See Amazing initiative represents an important step forward in public conversations aimed at autism, one focused on celebrating all kinds of minds.”
Why is the new Sesame Street character is a girl? How did they choose the traits she would have?
“Children with autism vary in their traits significantly: some can talk, while others can’t. Many of them are sensitive to noise. Some have trouble keeping eye contact, and many of them experience the world differently, so they’ll touch different objects to explore the sensation of texture. Perhaps because of this range, autism is also extremely controversial. While some organizations, such as Autism Speaks, consider autism a syndrome that calls for research to help mitigate its effects, others, such as the Autism Self-Advocacy Network, simply view autism as an alternative way of expressing oneself….”
Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps and tech products to use with kids of all abilities.
Love this mom’s generosity! Please forward, share, post, pin & tweet to share the word about these unique FREE special needs coloring sheets ❤️. Here’s the e-mail that I received:
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Hello!
You are receiving this email because I thought you might like to know that my new website, http://poppingwheelies.net, is live, up and running. On it you will find over 200 of my coloring pages that can be viewed, downloaded and printed for FREE! I am very excited about this and I hope you will use this resource with children of all abilities
Please feel free to forward, tweet, post and tell everyone you know so that more children can have access to Popping Wheelies inclusive designs. Thanks so much.
One of the frequent requests I receive is for suggestions regarding resources to help kids understand & appreciate special needs. The reason why I have a variety of resources for this is that there is no “one size fits all” resource. Some of the books in my library are geared towards group or classroom settings (but can also be modified for individual use). Some are geared towards specific special needs. Some are more subtle with general themes of respect, compassion & caring. Some are new and some have been in my library since I started my career as a SLP over 25 years ago. My library is frequently expanding but here’s what it includes at the moment:
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A Rainbow of Friends by P.K. Hallinan
All Kinds of Friends by Ellen B. Senisi
ASD and Me: Learning About High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder by Teresa DeMars
Can I Tell You About Autism?: A guide for friends, family and professionals by Jude Welton
Do-si-Do with Autism Friendship Kit by Sarah Stup
How Katie Got a Voice (and a cool nickname) by Patricia L. Mervine, SLP
I Like Birthdays…. It’s the parties I’m not sure about! by Laurie Renke
Ian’s Walk: A Story About Autism by Laurie Lears
In Jesse’s Shoes: Appreciating Kids With Special Needs by Beverly Lewis
Leah’s Voice by Lori DeMonia
Love for Logan by Lori DeMonia
Meet the Beaker Kids: A book for anyone who’s ever had “enough” by Shanna Philipson
Show You Understand: Learning about Compassion and Caring by Regina G. Burch
Someone Special Just Like You by Tricia Brown
Sometimes My Brother: Helping Kids Understand Autism Through a Sibling’s Eyes by Angie Healy
Special People, Special Ways by Arlene Maguire
The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone with Autism by Ellen Sabin
The One and Only Special Me by Rozanne Lanczak Williams
The Special Needs Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone with Special Needs by Ellen Sabin
This is Gabriel Making Sense of School: A Book About Sensory Processing Disorder by Hartley Steiner
We Can Do It! by Laura Dwight
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I only have listed books that I have in my personal library. If you are an author of a book or resource geared towards helping kids understand special needs and would like me to review your work OR if you have questions about any of the resources I have listed, the best way to reach me is via Facebook Messaging on my OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894.
(My e-mail is listed below but I am getting tons of spam mail due to using that account for social media and blogging…. to the point that I may not receive the e-mail or it being buried among the spam.)
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities
OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.
NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.
{GoTalk Now AAC App Giveaway ~ worth $99.98} 10 winners will each get a code for two IAPs within the most current GoTalk Now Lite iOS iPad app to “Upgrade to NOW Features”(worth $79.99) and the “Ready-Set-Communicate” pre-made communication book (worth $19.99).
Anyone who works with children with special needs or has a child with special needs will not want to miss this amazing opportunity! Even if your child uses other forms of AAC, the GoTalk Now app has lots of features that are helpful for adapted literacy & learning. The app is very easy to program and I have had several patients where the features of this AAC app were the best match for their needs.
Entry details on this post on the OMazing Kids Facebook Page:
{ ELSB – Early Literacy Skills Builder App Giveaway ~ worth $79.99} 10 winners will each get a code for this fabulous adapted literacy iOS iPad app specifically designed for kids with special needs by Attainment!
The ELSB app is a multi-year preliteracy curriculum for students who have not acquired print and phonemic awareness. The software brings to life Levels 1—7; daily lessons and level assessments. The program narrator and main character Moe the frog, take students through lessons that are built to shape mastery of 14 objectives following an easy-to-hard sequence. Objectives include sight word vocabulary with flashcards, syllable segmentation with a tapping game, and print awareness with pointing to text as it is read. Collaborate with each student to create their own unique avatar. Five years of solid research have been completed through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, proving ELSB to be a highly effective literacy program and more effective than a sight-word only program. ELSB is based upon the principles of systematic and direct instruction. It incorporates scripted lessons, least-prompt strategies, teachable objectives, built-in lesson repetition, and ongoing assessments. The seven ELSB levels contain five structured lessons each. All students begin at Level 1. Teach scripted lessons daily in two 30-minute sessions. On the completion of each level, formal assessments are given. ELSB includes everything you need to implement a multi-year literacy curriculum.
OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.
NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.
Listen to & purchase their great music. This beautiful album honors kids of all abilities with themes that resonate particularly well for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Sensory Processing Disorder:
April is Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month.Inclusion, acceptance & love should be practiced every day…. but months like this are a good opportunity to raise awareness & then go beyond awareness to building programs, services & communities that support individuals of ALL abilities and needs ♥
Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities (http://www.jdmc.org/)
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities
OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.
NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.
OMazing Kids AAC Consulting 